This Is Hyrule
by dearjenna
Summary: ONE SHOT. When a young pirate by the name of Tetra discovers she is much more than that, she has to decide if she's right for the part. ("LoZ: Wind Waker")


**Author's Note: Here's a one-shot, folks! I hope you like it. I go through spurts where I just write a lot. Usually it's for my blog, but right now I want it to be for Fanfiction. I've been playing a lot of "LoZ: Wind Waker HD" since it came out on the Wii U. The remake is beautiful. (Actually, I haven't played in like a week, but still it's wonderful and I'll probably play again tonight after writing this.) I hope you enjoy this. Reviews are welcome and cherished! **

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One Shot: This is Hyrule

The castle stood tall and strong. Tetra had sailed the seas for years now, yet she had not come across such a whirlpool that sent them into this sunken world. A strange man she had just met stood in front of her claiming to be her father—this man, once claiming to be some kid's boat. The King of Red Lions.

Tetra was stunned and still in disbelief as she stood in what appeared to be a sanctuary in this covenant of a kingdom—stained glass and symbolic imagery abound. The treasures to behold there were now hers to hold, without asking permission and never asking for forgiveness.

_"You are the true heir of the royal family of Hyrule... The last link in the bloodline. You are Princess Zelda."_

_"...Zelda? I'm... A princess?"_

_"You are confused, aren't you? I suppose such is to be expected."_

Confused was an understatement, and before she could get more information, they were gone—both the kid, of whom she had found herself calling a friend, and the king. They were sailing, as fast as the wind would carry them, to take on an insurmountable evil shadowing every corner of her beloved sea. She wanted nothing more than to be there with them. Instead, she was standing in a dress and crown adorned with jewels and fabrics she would have never been able to afford even on her most successful of pillages and plunders. Oddest of all, she found herself truly missing the boy. The way he had looked at her, stunned, as the king transformed her into the princess. As hardened by the sea as she was, she had to admit, she enjoyed that look.

Monsters with weapons, lunging and hunting, were frozen in time where they stood. The princess used the same bravery she had always known to exit the large cathedral-like hall her father had left her in and began roaming the castle. There was so much she had to learn about who she was. Hyrulean legend had always been that: a legend. Zelda never once believed she would possibly be this close to the kingdom or even be an heir. But now she stood in its history, reveling in its glory. The hero's statue she hadn't taken time to notice before stood tall and proud in the middle of the grand hall. He seemed so strong and familiar. Her heels tapped against the ancient stone, the sound echoing through the castle, as she walked around. She stopped and looked way up above her where a family portrait was mounted securely to the wall. There Zelda was, or who she thought she was. She still wasn't sure.

Zelda reached her small hand up, as if caressing the painting's canvas as it hung several feet above her.

Out of the corner of her eye was a light emitting from a passageway leading outside. Zelda took a deep breath and slowly approached the doorway. There was land as far she could see, with some of Hyrule still standing, although most of it was in shambles now. Scared to move further, Zelda took a deep breath and filled her lungs with the crisp air. She still wasn't sure this was her life to have. Could the pirate Tetra handle being landlocked, even while surrounded by riches? Would she be able to handle this life? Zelda didn't have an answer for that.

Worst of all, her dress was already beginning to feel as if it was clinging to her too tightly. Was it proper for a princess to be something other than a princess? Could she be Tetra and still be Zelda? She always had been, but now she could see her reflection for what it truly was. She walked back down to the sanctuary where she learned her name and sat in the center where the Triforce was carved into the floor.

Zelda held her head in her hands. This was it, this was her life. She may not have chosen it so soon, but she had to take it and make it her own. Zelda looked up to the stained glass depicting Ganondorf. She furrowed her brow and clenched her fists, now clothed in fine, silk gloves—it was soft despite her grip. Tetra would never let her crew down, and Zelda wouldn't dare let her people down.

.~.-.~.

_W-wait! You could... You could come with us! Yes, of course... We have a ship! We can find it. We _will_ find it! The land that will be the next Hyrule! _

_Ah, but child... That land will not be Hyrule. _**It will be your land!**


End file.
